Julio Enciso is available for Paraguay’s World Cup opener against the United States after Gustavo Alfaro said the midfielder had taken a knock but no injury. The coach said Enciso is very well, completed every step he needed to complete and can play, though Paraguay will still evaluate him again before kickoff on Friday at 22:00.
That update matters because Paraguay are stepping back into the World Cup after three consecutive absences, and the team’s first test comes immediately against the United States in its 2026 debut. A final call on Enciso could shape the lineup for a match that already carries the weight of a return the squad has waited years to make.
Alfaro did not sound cautious about the player’s condition so much as procedural. He said there is no injury, only a knock, and that Enciso has already done everything required to be considered for selection. The question now is whether that clearance turns into a start or leaves him on the bench for the opening whistle.
The coach’s update landed during a press conference that carried more emotion than most pre-match briefings. Diego Gómez, who is expected to feature for Paraguay, broke down in tears while speaking about the country’s return to the tournament, and Alfaro stepped in to comfort him. Paraguay’s comeback has clearly touched the group inside the camp, not just the supporters watching from home.
Alfaro said Gómez and Damián Bobadilla “cover the whole field,” calling them complete midfielders, and he also praised the mood around the squad as one built on belief rather than pressure. He said the team is moving forward with illusion, not expectation, and that the players have already earned their place by surviving the hardest stretches of the qualifying road.
There is still one piece Alfaro would not settle before the match: the goalkeeper. He said any of Paraguay’s three goalkeepers has the attributes to start, but stopped short of naming who will face the United States. That leaves one final selection unresolved as Paraguay prepares for a debut that has already restored a sense of occasion to the camp.
Enciso’s status now sits among the last decisions before Friday’s game. If he is cleared again, Paraguay will have another of its key names available for a match that can define the tone of this World Cup return from the opening minutes.
